Been a little while since I've last posted. Everything is going quite well. Finding out about the Zoot team last week has been and will be a great source of motivation for the year. I have been happy with my training as of late...pretty surprised how good I have been feeling really. Janda had us do our first VO2 max test on the bike this past weekend. I haven't really done any specific VO2 max work since last season and haven't really ridden a whole lot. I felt awesome though and ripped the test. I was hoping to raise my VO2 max on the bike to the number I achieved on Sunday by the end of the base period...so to reach it before we have really even done any work was a huge bonus. Here is the song I listened to during the test haha. We filmed the test so hopefully we will have that up soon. Needless to say, the split we are using right now is working. Master coach, Janda, is a genius what can I say.

This past weekend I attended a seminar put on by Range of Motions. It was great and I learned a ton about various fields of exercise science and nutrition. The speakers were awesome. Thanks to Nick for allowing me to attend. Speaking of Nick, my weekly sessions with him have been helping a lot. We are really targeting some different parts of my body where I am either a little inflexible or weak. I am already feeling it making a difference.

I'd like to give a little shout out as well to Balance Massage here in Virginia Beach. All of the therapists are very good at what they do and having them as part of my "team" this year is going to go a long way in keeping my body healthy and ready to roll week in and week out.

Joel and I's cycling workshop is going very well. There are going to be some nice power jumps when we test the group next week. There is still some room left for the 2nd 8 week session if anyone is looking to take their cycling to the next level.

I have officially started working under Janda as an "assistant" coach if you will. I am very thankful for this opportunity as I can't think of anyone better who I'd rather learn from and be associated with. It's already been a blast working with a few athletes. I can't wait to help more and more people have fun reaching their goals.

Lastly, registration is now live for the triathlon my father, brothers, and I are putting on this summer in my hometown of Gaylord, MI. You can check it out here. This is the oldest triathlon in Michigan and we are resurecting it to be better than ever.

Zoot Ultra Triathlon Team

Just a quick blog letting you know I've been selected for the 2010 Zoot Ultra Triathlon Team. I am honored to have been given an opportunity to represent Zoot and some of the other leading triathlon companies in the world. More on this to come in the future.

Hope everyone is enjoying their first week of the new year.

2009 Triathlon Season in Review

Final Kick group at Eagleman

Running into 3rd at Patriot's Olympic

About to take the win at Sandman

2nd lap at 70.3 World Championship

Here are some pictures from the 2009 triathlon season. I thought I'd do a little wrap up of the year now that '09 is done and we are into the new year. 2009 was definitely another step in the right direction. I really didn't have any major goals besides just continuing to improve in each of the 3 disciplines and whatever came of that was good with me. Sure doing well at different races was important to me, but usually if I take care of the main goal, constant improvement, doing pretty well follows close behind. I started off the year with some really good training. We took a bit of a different approach in the winter, as training was really the focus and I didn't race at all until the end of March. I did the Virginia Duathlon and took 5th against 4 guys who have placed in their age groups at Duathlon Worlds. The first race of the year is always kind of tough, but it was nice getting the race cobwebs out.

Next was Duathlon Nationals the end of April. I was looking to have a good showing here as last year I was in the top 20. Well, the result was my first ever and hopefully last ever DNF in a race. It was a very hot day for April (90+) and I just had one of those days where you feel awful from the first step. I got through the first run and bike, but called it a day in t2. Talk about a wake up call. That race did a lot for me as I took a step back and thought about what went wrong and why I love multisport. I placed a lot of pressure on myself for this race, and for what? I kind of took a different perspective after that and sure I was going to give every race my very best effort, but at the end of the day even though triathlon is very important to me and my life often times revolves around it, it's only a sport and is meant to be FUN.

I jumped right into a sprint tri the next weekend to get my head right and I was feeling back to normal. I took 3rd at the Kinetic Sprint at Lake Anna. After that it was right into some specific training for Eagleman. I was training the best I had in my life and two weeks before Eagleman I raced a local sprint...Breezy Point. It's always a great time racing alongside so many of your friends and local competitors. I was able to take 4th place, but was a bit disappointed as I was right there and lost to all 3 that finished ahead of me by less than a minute. Oh well, I had just finished a big block of training for Eagleman and that was the first big race of the year so I quickly turned my focus towards that.

Eagleman is a great race and one that is a must for any triathlete to compete in at least once. I was very much looking forward to this race and thought I could possibly grab a Kona slot if I had a good day. Well, I did have a pretty good day...but was beat by one guy in my age group by a couple of minutes. I hadn't really planned on going to Kona, but if I had gotten the slot I would not have been turning it down. This will be the goal for 2010 and I am already excited for June 13th to get here. A lot of people from Hampton Roads always do this race and it kind of feels like a local race because of it.

Next up was Colonial Beach. I really haven't done many olympic distance tri's so I was anxious to see what I could do. In years past this race had been a 1k swim, 24 mile bike, and 6 mile run and I was able to take 2nd here last year. In '09 it was a full Olympic distance. I felt decent...considering the day before I was in bed until about 2PM as one of my good friends had their bachelor party the night before and drank a bit too much...haha. I ended up 4th overall in 2:02, but the competition was very good and I beat the guy who beat me in '08 so I was pleased with that. This is one I like to do every year as well. The race takes place in a small town and has that grassroots triathlon feel.

Steelhead 70.3 takes place along Lake Michigan. I love this race as it's not very often my family gets to come watch me race. That weekend was crazy as I drove to Michigan, did the race, drove straight to Chicago for a wedding that night, and then the next day drove with Rachel up to northern Michigan where we are from. I was very close to knocking this race out of the park. Had I run what I thought I could I would have been right there for the overall age group win. My bike split matched quite a few of the pros on a day that got a lot windier as the morning went on and my wave started last. I ended up 3rd in my age group and missed 2nd by a lousy few seconds b/c the guy started in the wave before me and I never saw him. This race is a lot of fun and you won't find a much better swim anywhere. Bike and run are both nice and challenging. Perfect temps up there that time of year.

When we got back from Michigan I started a block of a lot of intensity to get ready for Sandman and Patriot's Olympic. We also did this as we've found it works pretty well to go into a 70.3 specific period after doing a period of a lot of intensity. It tends to make that half ironman pace seem a lot more tolerable. Both races went well. I took 3rd at Patriot's and really enjoyed their new course. Sandman was the next weekend and during the week I knew something good was coming. The engine was hot and I was able to rip off a couple of nasty workouts that week. Sandman was a race I had looked forward to all year after coming 2nd last year...not to mention it's our only triathlon in Virginia Beach. The ocean was pretty rough and I knew it was going to be a challenging day when I first get in to warm up and get annihilated by a huge wave. The swim actually went pretty well as I took a wide path outside the buoys as it tends to calm down out there a bit. I steadily made my way back to shore as I approached the last couple of buoys and I was surprised to come out right behind the leader. A quick transition and I had the motorcycle with me from the start of the bike. This is the first time I have been in this position and it was a blast. I can't wait to hopefully experience this again in 2010. I rode very well...probably my best power file to date and came off the bike with a couple minute cushion. I ran hard until the turn around and then put it on cruise control a bit as I wanted to enjoy it. It was great seeing my friend and training partner Joel right there in the mix too as he was close behind.

Clearwater was the last multisport event of the year and I was looking forward to getting down there and improving upon my race from the previous year. Rachel and I had a lot of fun traveling with Joel and Stephanie and we were ready to roll come race morning. Janda was there to watch us and his other small army of athletes so that was a bit of extra motivation. I won't go into detail much here as I think I already posted a bit of a race report , but after dragging a group of 10+ athletes around for over half the bike I was pretty worn out by the time I got to the run. I was disappointed in my run, but they can't all go to plan and a PR is a PR (although on that course it's tough for many to claim it as so).

So that's about it...the 2009 multisport year in a nutshell. I took a lot of positives away from the year...I really do love to train and race, I was able to stay healthy pretty much the entire season, I improved in all 3 disciplines, I learned a ton, and met a lot of good people. I have a lot to work on this off season, but cannot wait for racing to start up again as I am confident this year will be another good one.

God continues to bless us a ton and has is hands on everything we do. I know that's a tough concept for some to grasp, but being that it's a start to a new year and you find yourself unhappy or searching for contentment...I challenge you to seek out this relationship.

Thanks for reading...the couple who do...haha.

The Holiday Season

Here are some pictures from Christmas. The first one is of my entire family- my five brothers and sisters, parents, and the significant others. The 2nd one is 2 of my brothers, my father, and I at our local hockey rink. It's amazing how quick it comes back...I guess that's what happens when you start something at 5 like we all did and my youngest brother is following suit. Finally, the 3rd picture is of Rach and I. Really, I just wanted to show of my beautiful wife:) You can go here to see more.

We had a lot of fun hanging out with family and friends while we were home. We ate a ton of good food as all my family seems to have the good cooking gene. We opened way too many gifts as my folks continue to be the most generous people alive. Last, but certainly not least, my sister Jen and her husband Matt surprised us all Christmas morning with the news that she is pregnant! It was a pretty special moment and we're all very excited. She's due 2 days before my brother's wedding so that ought to be interesting.

With all the partying we did back home in Michigan we are just laying pretty low this New Year's Eve. We are looking to make 2010 the best year yet. In the next day or two I'm going to do a little recap of the 2009 triathlon season so stay tuned.

Be safe tonight!

Lots going on

The human body definitely surprises you at times. I thought for sure after I took 2 weeks of doing completely nothing that it would take me all of December if not well into January before I started to feel back to normal. Every year after I've taken some down time after my season, the fitness has come back quicker. I feel that taking about 2 weeks off was perfect. I was refreshed mentally and I think that is enough time to shed any fatigue that has been carried after a long season...as well as help any little nagging injury you may have had. I'm not saying I would be able to handle a 4 hour progressive ride or 5 miles worth of intervals at the track right now...but I'm happy with how things are looking heading into 2010 and I'm ready to start hitting it and making some improvements come January. I have some big goals for the year and I think I'm very capable of reaching them if I put in the proper work.

On the swim front I have gotten some help from Juliet Adams. We did some under water video taping and figured out a couple of key things to work on so that I can drop my swim times even more. I've also been working with Steve Harrison a bit and he really knows his stuff. He's looking to hopefully start up a master's program here soon. More on that hopefully soon. The good thing is both of them basically told me the same thing as far as what I need to do to improve. It's a difficult thing to do...change something when you have already had some success doing it your way. The key I think is making small adjustments over time. I think I could probably keep improving a bit if I kept on the way I was, but at some point I need to start swimming with the proper technique. It will be easier down the road and if I ever want to get to the point where I can swim sub 26 for the 70.3 distance this is the only way. Steve made a very interesting comment last week...he said "It's easy to swim bad." Swimming hurts when doing it correctly, but once you adapt the improvements are dramatic.

The cycling has pretty much been the same as the past two seasons. We're just sprinkling in the intensity right now to prep for the real work to begin in January. Lots of VO2 max, threshold, and big gear work. The big gear session I did this week was tough, but man does it do wonders for gaining power. I can't wait to take my cycling to another new level this year. I made some big improvement last year, but don't see why I can't make another jump.

Running is going to be a bit different this winter. I'm going to be doing some more intensity, but also keeping my volume quite high. I'm going to utilize some good group sessions to get the best out of myself. This has already begun as this week I met up with Todd Bibb, a great runner and soon to be great multi-sport athlete. Usually Dai Roberts does this run too and I'm trying to convince Joel to join us eventually too. We did the 10 mile loop this week in under 1:04. For me, that's quite fast for this time of year. I think utilizing group training can really help one improve. The key is finding people to train with who aren't trying to "race" you every time out. Yes, you want to push each other...but it's important to have respect for everyone's agenda as it tends to always be slightly different.

The resistance training is starting to get better. I feel stronger every week and can now actually do a respectable amount of pull-ups. It is sometimes tough getting in all these RT sessions, but it's worth it. This work prevents a lot of injuries and if you get injured later in the season it can really set you back.

I'm very excited for my friend Brian, who has just committed to working with Janda for the 2010 season. I know he is going to be killing it this year. It will be fun this spring since him, Joel and I will all be on a similar timeline as we're doing Eagleman and he's doing Mooseman.

I've been listening to some podcasts from the Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre while doing some of my trainer sessions. If you get a chance...check them out here . Many of them are good, but the two best so far have been the Jack Daniels one and then Tim Noakes. Jack Daniels has been around forever and has worked with a ton of elite runners. He hits on a lot of good points. One key thing I took away from his talk was how an athlete needs to be in a place that they are motivated and love training. For example, if an athlete is at altitude, has a great sports science environment, good medical support, a group to train with, but is unhappy for whatever reason (maybe no family or friends around, not comfortable financially or otherwise) they will not flourish. Athletes also need to enjoy the training they are doing as this goes a long way for longevity in the sport. Noakes' central governor theory is very interesting. I think a lot of it makes sense and is the missing piece to the puzzle for a lot of athletes who already know how to put in the work. These podcasts are a must listen for any endurance athlete or coach.

Our Cycling workshop has been going really well. The people in the class are working hard and motivated to improve. This past week we tested them all. It's going to be fun seeing how much everyone improves.

Rachel and I leave for Michigan on Wednesday. It's been too long since we've been home. I can't wait to hang out with my family. We always have a great time while we're home. I'm most excited to see my little brother open gifts Christmas morning.
Kona viewing this afternoon...4:30 on NBC...don't miss it!

An Amazing Wife

Today's blog entry is devoted to my wife Rachel. For those that know us closely, you know what Rachel has gone through the last 4 years in order for her to get her bachelor's degree. When I married Rachel I knew there was something very special inside of her. She has worked so hard, working 40+ hours a week and attending school full time...not to mention taking care of me (probably the most difficult of all of that). I would not have even dreamed of doing this while going to college. I wouldn't have been able to do it. She just went about her business as her upbeat/kind self and rarely complained. A lot can be accomplished when someone really buckles down and believes they can do something. We have been very blessed since we started our lives together and this is another important stepping stone. I'm not sure who is happier that she is done, her or me? It will be very nice being able to do things on weekends now without having to worry about what test or paper (which I wrote my fair share of btw:) is coming up next. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much longer I'll now be able to put off the whole having children thing. Before now I always had the "Well you need to finish school and then we can think about it." I'm just kidding...for the most part. So congrats babe...you're awesome! I know your Dad is very proud of what you have accomplished.

Back At It

It has felt good to be back training again, although it's really just getting the body moving again. December will be a gradual build up, prepping the body for the real work to begin after the first of the year. I am back doing some resistance training again, by the way of suspension ropes. This is one of the best ways out there for triathletes to incorporate sport specific movements into their resistance/core training. The best thing about these ropes is that you can do the workout anywhere. Every exercise forces you to use your core in one way or another and you are always working those little stabilizer muscles that often times get neglected when doing traditional weight training.

I have another sponsor to add after meeting with Erica from Essential Wellness. This is something I'm very excited about and know it is going to help me raise my triathlon game to a higher level. Erica focuses mainly on manual therapy, but they also have a nutritionist, chiropractor, yoga/psychologist, and more. I will be keeping a journal of how these different sessions are helping me get the most out of my body and mind as the 2010 season progresses. There will be a link to the journal up soon on their website. This is definitely going to be a weapon I have that most age groupers do not!

Joel and I's winter cycling workshop is starting this Wednesday. It's going to be a lot of fun helping these people reach their goals. Unfortunately, we have sold out the first session...but there is room in the 2nd one so if you're in the Hampton Roads area and are interested shoot me an email. Don't get left behind, as the people attending this workshop are going to be flying by the competition in 2010!

I'm also excited to get some really hands on swim coaching next week. I've heard a lot of good things about Juliet Adams and her swim instruction. We're going to be doing some underwater video taping next week and hopefully correcting a few flaws with my swim stroke. Now is the time to do these sort of things so shoot her an email if you're looking to improve your swim: strokefocus@gmail.com

It's hard to believe it's already December. Before long Rachel and I will be home to Michigan for Christmas. I can't wait to get out and x-country ski. I'm excited to see my whole family, but especially my little brother and sister. I like it out here in VA Beach, but I hate not seeing them grow up. No worries though as we are going to see them quite a bit in the next year.

I'm picking up my first 2010 bike build from Final Kick tommorrow. It's always nice seeing the new features and paint schemes of the Cervelo's up close. They are having quite the holiday sales right now so stop by and see them!